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Post by momof3 on Nov 13, 2007 21:53:18 GMT -6
I didn't see it that way (having revieded 2:39) I think Curt as always is just being the consumate realist and putting first things first - no one gives a hoey about A/C with the MVHS land decision hanging over us. If you bring a referendum for that with MV undecided - be prepared for pitchforks aplenty. Thanks for letting me know I am just completely paranoid  Sometimes my husband just looks at me and says "Who thinks like that?!" |
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Post by doctorwho on Nov 13, 2007 22:05:07 GMT -6
I guess my point is that they acted like the land decision is going to make people angry. That would lead me to believe they are leaning towards a decision they know is going to make lots of people unhappy. I think I know which site that is ... or am I making something out of nothing? I didn't see it that way (having reviewed 2:39) I think Curt as always is just being the consumate realist and putting first things first - no one gives a hoey about A/C with the MVHS land decision hanging over us. If you bring a referendum for that with MV undecided - be prepared for pitchforks aplenty. I think it's a combo of what you say - no 3rd school site yet which is priority one - along with the fact that no school site selection is going to be met with cheers from everyone -- they all have downsides ( the only difference with BB is that after all this time - the pro and con groups were a known vs. and unknown ) |
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Post by Arch on Nov 13, 2007 22:28:11 GMT -6
I wonder if the Admin has considered the longer term impact on students as a result of less emphasis on the arts. It would appear that the folks doing the legwork on this were instructed NOT to consider the impact. Martha? stood there and said that these programs are in no way compromised by being on a cart. So why did we pass refs for all of our ES's to have art and music room if it has no value??? People lose *ALL* credibility when they make up crap on the fly and present it as fact. IMO, She's a liability to getting it passed because no one's going to believe the next thing out of her mouth. |
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Post by proschool on Nov 14, 2007 9:48:44 GMT -6
How much did they say it costs to maintain a bus route??
If they want all day kindergarten they need to decide before the MVHS issue is settled because I think it means another elementary school. If you build on the 25 acre BB site you can save the money involved in bussing Owen West and Gombert East. Plus the additional money from the state for the kindergarten students. If we loose money in transportation funds from the state we may perhaps be able to persuade the state to offset them with building funds. I think our state reps owe us that.
The other way to find elementary seats is to buy elsewhere or reopen Wheatland.
It might be cheaper to buy elsewhere (or not) but they might not save in transportation costs elsewhere.
Reopening Wheatland might work but its an older school and not very efficient.
I always thought that you will have a hard time filling NV to capacity (which I think we will need to do) with the student population that you can squeeze into the elementary schools assigned to NV.
Anyway. I think they need to rush the decision so that they don't sell the 25 acres back to BB only to regret selling it later. The best way to get all day kindergarten may be to sell Wheatland instead and build at the 25 acres. You can get the preschool space there too.
Boundary wise the first decision might be to place Gombert East and Owen west to the new East. Backfill Owen with crowding and new growth in the southeast. Assign Owen to NV. Send Mission Oaks and Areo Estates (possible Stillwater north of 87th) to Gombert.
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Post by 204parent on Nov 14, 2007 10:48:55 GMT -6
Is this correct? We're seeing significant gains in one month? Seems like a pretty short pilot program.
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Post by momto4 on Nov 14, 2007 11:07:13 GMT -6
Is this correct? We're seeing significant gains in one month? Seems like a pretty short pilot program. Kids have been in school 2.5 months, did the pilot not start until recently? Have all kindergarteners shown significant gains in this same time period (whatever it is) or only those in the pilot program? I'd be curious how they are doing compared to other kids who would have qualified if their buildings offered the pilot program (as I suspect these kids are still behind their peers who may have attended one or two years or preschool). Why don't we wait until we have results from the end of this year and decide whether or not to expand the pilot program for next year, then whether or not to expand even further in 2009 (not for all in 2008)? |
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Post by momof3 on Nov 14, 2007 11:44:42 GMT -6
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/648812,6_1_NA14_KINDER_S1.article# Finding room for all-day KNovember 14, 2007 By BRITT CARSON Staff Writer Art and music on a cart or all-day kindergarten? That is how one board member in Indian Prairie School District 204 sees a recent proposal to implement all-day kindergarten. School board member Jeannette Clark is not convinced the district has enough room to accommodate the program and is worried areas such as music and art will be relegated to operating from carts. "Space has been a huge struggle in this district," Clark said. "I don't have a good idea of how art and music are impacted. In my opinion, what we are saying is that we are going to permanently overcrowd our facilities." The district wants to implement all-day kindergarten this fall. Martha Baumann, director of elementary education, said she has worked closely with all 21 elementary school principals to ensure the extra rooms needed are available. Baumann is also a former music teacher who for years used a cart while teaching music. "Having used a cart for many years, I can tell you my students were never in any way compromised," Baumann said. "It can be done." Principals' support All 21 elementary school principals attended Monday's board meeting and assured board members they were in support of the program. Currently the art, music and computer lab teachers at Longwood Elementary School use carts; however, that school is already part of the all-day pilot program. Two other schools, McCarty and Young are the only other schools that might have to make similar steps. Laura Johnston, principal at Longwood, said they can still make the program work. "Yes, we have every nook and cranny filled, but to us, this is a critical program," Johnston said. "We spend so much time catching kids up that we can't get ahead fast enough." Johnston said the students in the all-day pilot program already have made significant gains, and total gains from an entire grade level of students would be substantial. Half day still option A half-day option would still be offered to parents, although administrators expected most parents to opt for the all-day program. "I can't see in this community, a parent picking a half-day program if given the choice versus a full day," said Mike Raczak, principal at May Watts Elementary School. "I think the competitive nature of the community makes it difficult for me to figure out what parent would not take advantage of this opportunity." Kathy Birkett, deputy superintendent, said the half-day option will not be available at each school and only where they see a significant interest from parents during kindergarten roundup. The district expects the program to cost $7 million, which would add 61 teachers. David Holm, assistant superintendent of business and finance, said the program will mean a $5 million increase in general state aid, thus offsetting the costs during a three-year span. Despite hearing from several principals during the meeting, Clark requested a room-by-room analysis from each of the 21 elementary schools before and after the program to get a clearer picture of how programs would be impacted. Contact Britt Carson at bcarson@scn1.com or 630-416-5269.
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Post by momof3 on Nov 14, 2007 12:26:49 GMT -6
I am wondering if one of the intended outcomes of this is to force more parents to hold their kids back. I would guess in general, older kids (born in the first half of the year) score higher on standardized tests then younger kids in the same grade. Just a guess.
Most kids with summer birthdays that I know of are held back. Wonder if that will push the "holding back" to include spring birthdays?
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Post by doctorwho on Nov 14, 2007 12:41:08 GMT -6
I am wondering if one of the intended outcomes of this is to force more parents to hold their kids back. I would guess in general, older kids (born in the first half of the year) score higher on standardized tests then younger kids in the same grade. Just a guess. Most kids with summer birthdays that I know of are held back. Wonder if that will push the "holding back" to include spring birthdays? really I'm thinking there is no underlying motive like this ( I could be wrong - just my opinion) - I just think the topic was not presented as crisply as a completed thought process as it could have been. I think the test scores will vary by child - mine were a December birthday - earlier - and a july birthday - very late - and both scored about the same - had the same opportunites ( i.e. PA ) - etc --and never had a day of day care. I know some boys that are held back because of things like sports for instance also as well as academics. I never understood that - but now as I watch my daughter compete in a sport where height is a factor - being up to 10 months younger in the growth curve , I see how it would apply. I would never have held any of my children back for that reason, but I see how it applies. I myself - although tall now, was far below average in weight and height until high school - so what did they do - move me up a grade so I was even younger - hahaha ! i survived. |
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Post by proschool on Nov 14, 2007 13:29:26 GMT -6
I am scepical about where these kids are going to fit.
You will double the space requirments for one grade level in half the schools. Schools that have 3 or 5 kindergarten sections will not quite double. So lets say 40% of one sixth of the school times 23 elementary schools would require the equivalent of 1.6 elementary schools. Plus the additional enrollment of kids coming out of private kindergarten now that the kids can stay all day. It might work in 2007 and maybe 2008 but we I expect more growth to come in from new development.
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Post by momof3 on Nov 14, 2007 14:44:29 GMT -6
I was thinking about the art (or music?) on a cart speech Martha B. gave during the sb meeting.
Her boss, the one who told her that we ARE going to implement all day K and charged her to GET IT DONE was sitting right in front of her. What was she supposed to say?
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Post by Arch on Nov 14, 2007 14:49:50 GMT -6
I was thinking about the art on a cart speech Martha B. gave during the sb meeting. Her boss, the one who told her that we ARE going to implement all day K and charged her to GET IT DONE was sitting right in front of her. What was she supposed to say? As society seems to be shifting more towards treating life like a task-list rather than enjoying the moments in between, I am not at all surprised that many start to honestly believe that the creative endeavors (art and music) are 'just a waste of time' and 'no big deal'. It's as if no pleasure is taken in anything anymore and everything is being condensed down to a measurable commodity on a powerpoint presentation (a test standardized test score) and that's all that seems to matter. Pretty sad, IMO, if that's what we're teaching kids now. |
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Post by momof3 on Nov 14, 2007 15:07:14 GMT -6
Towards the end of the meeting MM made a big stinkin deal about not doing anything with the A/C ref until the voters could see the big picture as far as building maintenance and the '09 op ref.
Like he was suggesting we actually make a list of spending needs and prioritizing it before running off and doing one thing (in this case A/C).
Why are we doing the same thing with our curriculum needs? All day K is just one item on a list of things we should be thinking about (foreign language in ES is a big one I'm thinking about but what else is on the list?).
Why the rush to all day K without a complete evaluation of the curriculum needs? And why was our Curriculum Chair for the school board not there on Monday? Shouldn't this all important curriculum discussion have taken place during a meeting when CV was there?
And arch, to answer your question - NCLB. Testing is the end all be all.
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Post by Arch on Nov 14, 2007 15:20:26 GMT -6
In keeping with the new spirit (from the email that just went out today)
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Student Art Show Nov. 30
=========================
Chic Art Boutique, a gallery at Route 59 and 95th Street, is holding its First Annual Juried High School Art Show on November 30 from 7 to 10 pm with an awards ceremony at 7:30 pm.
The show will display more than 50 works of art from Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley High School students, offering students an opportunity to display their work within their own community.
For more information: Chic Art Boutique, 630-428-3431.
Why don't you put that on a cart and bring it to my house so I can see it?
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Post by bob on Nov 14, 2007 15:22:05 GMT -6
In keeping with the new spirit (from the email that just went out today) ========================= Student Art Show Nov. 30 ========================= Chic Art Boutique, a gallery at Route 59 and 95th Street, is holding its First Annual Juried High School Art Show on November 30 from 7 to 10 pm with an awards ceremony at 7:30 pm. The show will display more than 50 works of art from Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley High School students, offering students an opportunity to display their work within their own community. For more information: Chic Art Boutique, 630-428-3431. Why don't you put that on a cart and bring it to my house so I can see it? LOL |
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